CraLin’sweekulledsotightyoucouldn’tbreathethroughit.
MondaythroughFridaylookedlikeanormalschoollife—butthefinalbellwasneverasignalforfreedom.OnMondayandWednesdaynights,shehadtogotoacramschoolinXimendingandfightherwaythroughEnglishary.FridaynightsbeloophysianyangStreet.Eventheweekendofferednomercy—mathtutfromonoononSaturday,andthesametimeslotonSundayforthesubjectshedreadedmost:eseliterature.
UnderMrs.Lin’sstritrol,Cra’slifehadbeenslitotlessblocksdesignedforonepurposeonly:survivingexams.
ThateekendafternooingarehearsalroomaipeiMainStationorXimendingtopracticewiththeband—hadbeethestremainingspacewhereshecouldinhale.
Butkeepingthatoxygeasteepprice.
Mrs.Lingaveherafixedweeklyallowamore,notless.
Exactlyfivehudolrs.
Toanaveragehighschooler,itmightbeenoughforafewcupsofboba,maybeamovieontheweekend.Butforabassistinaschoolband,itwasbarelyenoughtostayalive.Rentingarehearsalroommeanteveryoosplitthecost—onaverage,fiftytosixtydolrsperpersonperhour.Andthatfive-stringbasswasamoingmookeepthekindoflowendJ-Rockdemanded—sharpenoughtocutstraightthroughamix—sheogestringsaboutonceeverysixmonths.Onepackoffive-stringbassstringscouldeasilyswallowfivetosixhundreddolrsinasie.
Toscrapetogetherthatmoney,Cra’sdinnerbeforecramschoolwasusuallyathirty-five-dolrbowlofdrynoodlesfromaall—ortwoteaeggsandaboxedbckteafromavenieore.
Wednesdaynight.Ximending.
Craadjustedherrimlessgssesandsatintheerofanoisynoodlestaingthecheapestdihcalmprecisioedevery,tugthegelyintothedeepestpocketofherwallet.
At6:30,theEnglishcramschool’sair-ditioningkickedinonschedule,coldandmerciless.Crasatslightlybehindthemiddleoftheroom,heruniformshirtbuttohstrictcaretothefirstbuttonbelowhercolrbone.
Butifyoulookedclosely,you’dnoticethatbehethiglishvocaburybookspreadopenonherdesk—perfectlycealed—wasasci-finovelborrowedfromarentalbookstore.
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